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The Water’s Edge A Quarterly Publication of the Michigan Water Research Center |
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The Water’s Edge A Quarterly Publication of the Michigan Water Research Center |
| From the Editor $ Scott McNaught |
| The Michigan Water Research Center
(MWRC) at Central Michigan University is well into its first year of operation. Our
laboratories are active and we have already completed several projects including an
aquatic plant survey for the Bertha Lake Association and a study of nutrient and fecal
coliform concentrations in the Big South Branch of the Pere Marquette River. We will soon
be working with the Michigan Lake and Stream Association on a project to assess the health
of the Black River in Allegan and VanBuren Counties. Don’t hesitate to contact us
with your questions and requests for expert water quality assessment. In January, Jenny Estabrook joined our staff as Laboratory Manager. She is responsible for coordinating the day-to-day operations of all laboratories associated with the MWRC. She enjoys the challenge of working with the students, faculty and clients. Assisting Jenny in the laboratory and field is Melissa Mayhak. Melissa will be a senior at CMU this fall. She hopes that her experience with water quality assessment this summer will help her find a job as an environmental scientist after graduation. The MWRC is fortunate to have Jenny and Melissa onboard! |
| Laboratory Notes 8 by Jenny Estabrook |
| The MWRC water chemistry laboratory is available for the study of lakes, streams and home drinking water analysis. The water chemistry laboratory is undergoing some changes to better serve our clients. The MWRC recently purchased a new Beckman UV/Vis Spectrophotometer with a 10-centimeter quartz cell. This instrument will help improve the sensitivity of our assays and is a valuable new tool for our molecular biologists as well. We are also purchasing is a new counter-top pH meter capable of analyzing specific ions (chloride, fluoride, nitrate) in freshwater. We have joined the World Wide Web and hope to provide useful information to our clients. Our address is www.cst.cmich.edu/centers/mwrc. Please visit our site often. Some pages are still under construction and will be changing rapidly as we gather new information. |
| Student Research—Stream Ecosystems & by Stephanie Ogren and Jody Brown |
| The primary source of energy for many stream organisms is detritus -- dead leaves and twigs that fall into the water from nearby trees and shrubs. Aquatic insects, snails and crayfish can use the energy stored in detritus only if leaves and twigs are not swept away by the current. Fallen logs, boulders and the natural curves of an undisturbed stream all help trap dead leaves and twigs. With an adequate supply of detritus, aquatic insects become abundant attracting large numbers of fish. This aquatic food web is greatly disturbed when man channelizes a stream. Channelization is the process of straightening and deepening a stream channel. Fallen logs and boulders are removed as well as nearby trees and shrubs. Without natural retention, detritus is carried downstream. Stream organisms suffer from a lack of food and soon disappear. Today there is great interest in improving the health of stream ecosystems. Channelized streams may be restored through human intervention including the careful introduction of logs, boulders and current deflectors. |
| MWRC |
| Brooks 135, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859 |
| 517-774-1184 |
| CMU is an AA/EO Institution |